GARDEN FRESH RATATOUILLE

Reap that garden harvest with this delicious and flavorful Ratatouille that is so versatile! I had never had ratatouille before only watched the movie with a rat, LOL! But my goodness is this delicious! I like to eat this by itself, but it is so delicious over any kind of pasta, as a filling for vegetable lasagna or spooned over a juicy baked chicken breast! So good grab a baguette and Mamma Mia, this is marvelous! It’s so healthy too!

And isn’t it funny friends, I cook all the time but I got tired of photographing all my food for the blog, so my recipes have kind of gone by the wayside, but I’ll throw one in every now and then!

GARDEN FRESH RATATOUILLE 

INGREDIENTS

8 fresh tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 large eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch pieces

coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium sweet onion, diced 

2 Tsp. minced Garlic

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 small zucchinis, diced

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon fresh basil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place tomatoes and juices on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and bake until thickened, 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a colander, toss eggplant with 1½ teaspoons salt. Let sit 20 minutes, then squeeze out excess liquid. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 4 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and cook stirring until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, bay leaf and basil to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and cook at a gentle simmer until vegetables are tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with vinegar, salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Linking up with Metamorphosis Monday

xoxo